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He came to Greece in the 70s as a young archaeologist aspiring to bring
to light the city of the legendary Ulysses or at least the palaces of
King Phillip of Macedon. Destiny, however, and the University of
California at Berkeley led the footsteps of Dr. Stephen G. Miller to
Nemea in the Peloponnese, southern Greece, where he unearthed the
ancient stadium of the Nemean Panhellenic Games.

In an interview with ANA-MPA's "Greek Diaspora" magazine, he said that
the digging was carried out very cautiously, and frequently with bare
hands.

"The first time I visited Greece I felt a sense of national identity,"
he said, adding: "I felt that I've always belonged there and will
belong there forever."

Dr. Miler has spent nine months at the site, despite the fact that he
is no longer the director of the excavations. He has played a decisive
role in the revival of the Nemean Games in their ancient form.
Participating athletes are obligated to wear robes similar to those
worn by their fellow athletes in antiquity.

"I believe that this re-enactment and revival of the Ancient Nemean
Games makes us all feel a part of this magnificent Greek history," he
says.

Referring to Macedonia, he said that the ancient Greeks in the 7th
century BC considered the Macedons Greeks, adding that "their Greek
identity is obvious given that the inscriptions of the ancient Macedons
were written in Greek". Furthermore, based on the archaeological
findings, the Macedons participated in the Games of Nemea as one of the
Greek tribes and this is an indisputable fact.

He said that the new Acropolis Museum is exceptional and stressed that
the British Museum no longer has any excuse to keep the Parthenon
Marbles, "the epitome of ancient perfection, the cornerstone of Western
civilization, of beauty and symmetry", in London.

"If my hand was missing, wouldn't I ask for it back? The answer is
self-evident," he continued.

He stated that isolated sculptures such as the Aphrodite of Milos or
Nike of Samothraki could continue to be on display at the Louvre, or
other such artifacts in museums throughout the world, in order to
showcase the perfection of the Ancient Greek spirit.

But the Parthenon Marbles must be returned to their home, to be housed
in the New Acropolis Museum, to complete their historic whole.